Stating the Obvious
by aggiegirl11
Summary: Post Season 3  oneshot. A conversation between unexpected characters that puts a relationship hanging in the balance into perspective.


Authors Note: This is my first foray into Grey's fanfiction, I'm a little rusty as far as creative writing goes, but I would absolutely love to get some feedback on this attempt. I don't think this has been done before, but I could be wrong. If it has been done before let me know and I will remove it. All of that being said, I don't own Grey's Anatomy…

Stating the Obvious

The Emerald City bar was alive with curious murmurings as the crowd that had been assembled for the wedding of Christina Yang and Preston Burke sought refuge from the oppressive silence that followed the failed ceremony.

"I can't believe that Burke was the one who wouldn't go through with it." Mark Sloan stated with a contemplative shake of his head. "I always pegged Yang as the one that would run in the face of commitment." This statement earned him a snort and an acrimonious glance from his two companions, Derek Shepherd and Addison Montgomery.

"Seriously." Addison interjected. "You of all people cannot peg people as non committal."

Mark grinned sheepishly at Addison's remark, causing even more people to stare at the three of them as they made their way to bar. They admittedly were an odd assortment, what with Mark being the man that broke up Derek and Addison's marriage. In fact, even he was shocked when both of them agreed to go out for drinks with him when he suggested it earlier in the evening. They had just settled in with their drinks at a table relatively close to the bar, when Mark spotted Chief Webber.

"The Chief's here, I thought this place was just for young, sexy people like myself." Mark observed, before standing up and moving over to where Richard was standing to play dutiful suck up.

Derek and Addison looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Trust Mark Sloan to leave them in an awkward situation. The months since their divorce had somewhat eased the awkwardness and they had begun to view each other as old friends.

"So, how are you and Meredith?" Addison asked, curious as to why Derek was here rather than with her.

Derek winced. "Not so good." he said with a sigh and took a drink of his scotch. "She won't open up to me. I'm afraid that she wants us to be over."

Addison gaped at him. "Seriously? Derek, I know I'm just the ex-wife and I have no business meddling, but you can't just accept it being over."

"And why not?" Derek asked the pain evident in his eyes. "If she doesn't care anymore what's the point? If she doesn't want to be with me, it doesn't matter how much I love her, I have to let her go."

"You don't honestly believe that she doesn't care anymore, do you?" Addison asked incredulously.

Derek just stared at her without uttering a single syllable.

"Please, Der, come on. She's been through so much this year, and from what I gather she has never had anyone to open up to before, so of course it's difficult for her to unburden herself to you. She's insecure, she's afraid that you're going to let go again, and if you walk away now without a fight, she is going to think that she was right. She may say that she wants it to be over, but Derek she just wants you to fight for her, like she had to fight for you."

"Why didn't she swim, then? If she still cares, why didn't she swim?" Derek argued, rehashing the idea that had disturbed him since Meredith's accident.

"I don't know - shock, fear, exhaustion, pain. There are so many reasons Derek, don't automatically assume that she didn't want to live anymore." Addison voiced reasonably. "Derek, all I know is that you never looked at me the way you look at her, you never loved me the way you love her, and yet you fought harder to save our failed marriage then you are fighting to keep Meredith."

Derek was shocked at hearing Addison's assessment of his and Meredith's situation. Maybe she was right, maybe he just wasn't fighting hard enough anymore. "It's just so hard, when she won't confide in me. Every time we get closer, something draws us further apart."

"That's life, if you love her as much as you say you do, and I know you well enough to know that you do, then Derek you can't give up just because it's difficult. You have to hold on, you have to remember that she loves you and it is going to take time for her to trust you completely, but you have to give her that time without walking away."

Derek nodded, knowing that Addison was right. He had to be strong, he couldn't give up on Meredith, no matter how much she pushed him away, he would never forgive himself if he did.

"Okay, so who wants another round?" Mark asked jovially as he returned to their table.

"You guys go ahead, they're on me." Derek said as he retreated to the bar to order and pay for the drinks. "Joe, will you please send another round of what Mark and Addison are drinking on me."

Joe eyed him strangely for a moment. "Sure thing, Doc."

"Here again, there can't be another bachelor party." A vaguely familiar voice stated from behind Derek.

He turned to face the woman he had met at Burke's bachelor party and acknowledged her with a nod.

"Well, if you're not here for a party, how about that drink?" She looked up to him hopefully.

"No thanks, I was just leaving to go see my girlfriend." Derek said with a smile and walked away, leaving a stunned Lexie Grey in his wake.

"Where's he going?" Mark asked Addison after Joe sent them their drinks.

"Hopefully to make things right with Meredith." Addison stated simply.

"What did you say to him?"

Addison smiled smugly. "I only stated the obvious."

Derek knew Meredith well enough to know that she wouldn't be home, she would be consoling Christina. So he hailed a cab and directed the driver to the apartment that Burke and Christina had shared. The elevator ride up to their floor seemed an eternity long, and when the doors finally opened he sprinted to their door and began to knock urgently. He was rewarded when Meredith opened the door.

"Der." she said softly, almost questioningly.

"This is not over. I am not letting you go without a fight. Nothing matters to me anymore if I am faced with life without you. I love you, and I am going to continue to love you until the day that I die." Derek stated closing the distance between them.

"I, Derek, I'm scared." Meredith admitted. "I don't know that I believe in happily ever after anymore, obviously it didn't work for Christina."

"You're not Christina, and I am not Burke." Derek said stepping even closer to her.

His proximity made her shiver slightly and her eyes shone with unshed tears. "I do love you, Derek. It's just that everything is so complicated. I'm always afraid that I'm not enough for you. I wasn't when you chose Addison."

Derek caressed her cheek softly. "You were, I just had a sense of obligation, that I regretted every day that I didn't get to spend with you."

"Really?" Meredith asked her eyes hopeful for the first time in weeks.

"Really." Derek affirmed as he tenderly kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad that we're not over." Meredith said as he held her close to his chest and lovingly stroked her hair.

"I could never just walk away from you again, I learned the hard way that I cannot live without you."

"No matter how many girls come on to you at Joe's?" Meredith asked pulling away slightly.

"I will only talk to a girl that comes on to me at Joe's if her name happens to be Meredith Grey." He said drawing her close again.

"I can handle that." She said before leaning in to kiss him lovingly.


End file.
